Herbicide and Pesticide Exposure Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

A recent study from UCLA has confirmed that exposure to the herbicide Paraquat is linked with a heightened risk of Parkinson’s disease. This combines with other research that has found other chemicals used on our foods and landscapes significantly increase the risk of Parkinson’s.

The researchers, from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, studied 357 Parkinson’s disease cases along with 754 control subjects – adults from Central California. The researchers determined increased exposure to the herbicide Paraquat through geographic mapping linking their home locations to agricultural use of the chemical on farms. Those living closer to farms that sprayed the herbicide were found to have a 36% increased risk of Parkinson’s.

However, those who experienced a head injury combined with increased Paraquat exposure tripled their chances of having Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers from Mexico’s Unidad de Medicina Familiar also studied cases of Parkinson’s together with exposure to the herbicide Paraquat among Mexican workers. They also found a positive association between exposure to this chemical and Parkinson’s disease.